The Winter Missionary Campaign for 1904
By Arthur G. Daniells
Our brethren and sisters who are reading our papers are aware that for weeks preparations have been in progress for a long, vigorous, successful missionary campaign during the coming winter. A winter missionary campaign by Seventh-day Adventists is a happy idea. It is consistent with our profession. It is an economical, efficient plan for doing a great and good work for our fellow men. It is practicable, and easy to be carried out. The winter missionary campaign is designed to give every believer in the third angel's message an opportunity to do something to give that message to some one else. Its fullest aim is to place the light of this message in every home in the United States. This is to be done chiefly by the distribution of our literature. Every preparation possible has been made by earnest, practical men to aid our people to sell, loan, and give our papers, tracts, and books to all the people of this country this winter. This literature sets forth the truth of the gospel as it has been made known to us in the third angel's message. Every phase of gospel truth is brought out in various papers, tracts, pamphlets, and books. Without the slightest difficulty a selection can be made to meet any error we may want to correct. The work is so simplified by the variety, character, and expense of the publications that every one can do something. During the month of November a general effort will be made with our papers. Special numbers of The Signs of the Times, The Southern Watchman, and Life and Health will be issued for the work during that month. Every one can exercise his personal choice as to which of these papers he will use, or whether he will work with all of them. Our work with these papers need not, and should not, close with the month of November; but it is planned that strong, earnest, universal efforts shall be made during the whole month with these papers. Following November, tract work and book selling should be taken up. Tracts telling about the coming of the Lord, the meaning of what is taking place around us, the evils of religious legislation, etc., should be scattered over this land like the falling leaves of the forests. Thousands of our people should spend December selling “Christ's Object Lessons” and “Story of Joseph” in behalf of our schools and the colored work. Thousands more should devote the whole winter to the sale of our trade and subscription books. This, dear brethren and sisters, is, in brief, the aim and the practical meaning of the winter missionary campaign. Its full meaning can not be summed up. The judgment alone will reveal the full results. But we can here and now see enough in this to thrill our hearts and9lead us to intense and prolonged effort. This Sabbath, October 29, has been set apart as a missionary convention day. A full statement of the general plans of work will be found on the second page of the REVIEW dated September 29. This is a work that calls most earnestly to every conference officer, minister, and church elder in our ranks. Brethren, will you take hold of this work, and lead the hosts of the Lord in blessed service this winter? In connection with this missionary convention, it should be decided by every church member what papers he will work with during the month, and immediate steps should be taken to secure a full supply to work with. In order to get in a full month's work, earlier arrangements should be made for material. Good leadership in our churches is needed at this time for large, effective service. Where does this responsibility of leadership rest if not with our ministers and church elders? “Ministers and people, wake up! Be quick to recognize and seize every opportunity and advantage offered in the turning of the wheel of providence. . . . Let the gospel message ring through our churches, summoning them to universal action.” Brethren and sisters, let us heed God's call to service. A mighty Niagara of human beings is pouring over the falls down into perdition every day that comes and goes. This terrible stream will not cease to flow until Jesus comes. He can not come until this gospel of the kingdom, revealed in the message given to us, has been preached in all the world. And that can be done only by the people whom God has been pleased to make his representatives in the earth. “Everything in the universe calls upon those who know the truth, to consecrate themselves unreservedly to the proclamation of the truth as it has been made known to them in the third angel's message.” — Unpublished Testimony, dated Jan. 10, 1904. Shall not every believer in this message answer this call from the universe?